mmm – Falcon Photo

January 22, 2018

Final/Summarizing post

This semester has been very fun. I did not sign up for this class but I was very glad when it was substituted in. I used to think that photography was very simple and that anyone could do it, but now I know better. There are many components that go into taking the perfect picture; positioning of the subject and camera, lighting, etc. I liked all of the different projects that we did in this class. If I were asked to choose a favorite it would be a very difficult decision. I have changed the way I take photos because I always leave my rule of thirds grid on know and pay attention to the minor details. Photography does not interest me as a career because I do not think that I would be able to put my job before the lives, feelings, and emotions of others, as well as the emotions of myself. I would like to take photography as an elective in high school so that photography can be a hobby of mine.

My favorite photo that I took:

January 18, 2018

Smiles

This assignment was very interesting. The assignment was to take pictures of a variety of people while they were smiling and then while they were not smiling. It is amazing how different people look when they just smile.

Many people create stereotypes about different people based on how they look. This project was created to show that people may not really seem like they do when you see them for the first time. We watched a video that showed the same person with different fake stories and photographers making him look like he is a specific type of person. We should never stereotype people based on how they look at first glance. If you give people a chance they might surprise you.

Here are some of my examples: You can see how some peoples body language changes when they smile.

December 21, 2017

Newseum

This photo is very sad because it is so unbelievable that humans can wish to torture other humans so much that they have to flee from their home. This photo was very special to me because my parents were influenced by this war and had to flee their home and family as well. I was drawn to this photo because of the vibrant colors and the child as the focus.

This photo shows how horrible things can happen when you are thinking that the situation cannot get any worse. There was a fire in the building and this family fled to the fire escape which unexpectedly broke while they were still on it. I was drawn to this photo because of the positions of the people in it. It is unbelievable how the photographer took a photo of them while they were in midair.

My favorite exhibit was the Pulitzer Prize Photographs because it was so enlightening. I witnessed so many things that I did not now about. There were also some things I had heard about, but never in this much detail. These photos made me realize that there are so many hardships in the world and that I am lucky to have such an easy life compared to others around the world. I wish to visit this exhibit in the future when there are new photographs.

I think it would be very difficult to be a photojournalist. There are so many dilemmas, like do I save the person in danger or do I take a photograph so that other people can learn about this moment as well? I feel that many of the people that were in the photos did not want to have their photo taken and think of the photographer as a bad guy cause he/she is not helping them. I feel that being a photojournalist could take a toll on your health and happiness. A good part of being a photojournalist could be taking positive photos that make you feel happy as well as make the person you are taking the photo of proud.

December 21, 2017

Set in the Street

Set in the Street was a very fun and educating project. We learned how to work with our hands and take creative pictures. The first thing we had to do was build the set. First, we made the frames for the walls. We cut beams of wood and then nailed them together. We had to keep the beams in place by standing on them while another person hammered in the right place. Next, we attached sheets of drywall to the frames with a drill. We had to drill in the right place,at the right speed to connect everything properly. We added support beams on the sides of one wall so that the 3 walls could be connected. After we drilled the drywall and frames together, we had to cover the holes we drilled in to the drywall with putty so that it was not visible after painting. We let the putty dry overnight. After the putty was dry, we sanded it down to make it smooth so that it was not visible after we painted. Once we sanded, we painted two coats of gray paint onto the walls. When the paint dried, the walls were complete. The next thing we did was bring the walls into the main lobby so that we could attach them. We attached the walls together and then brought down all of the couches and other props we would need. After school, we put supports on the wall and made final touches on the set. We completed the set right on time. Set in the Street was a huge success. People loved creating their own scenes. The LPMS set in the street was just like the NYC version.

December 3, 2017

7 Thankful

The first photo is a picture of my family (my parents and I) in Washington D.C. I am very thankful for my parents because they will always be beside me, even in the hardest of times. My parents have always encouraged me in my sports, studies, and life in general.

The second photo is of me and my cousins in 2009 and then in 2016. My cousins have been my best friends and helped me whenever I needed them. I have known them my whole life and am very sad because some of them live in Europe now and I do not get to see them that often.I have many more cousins that I love, and that are not in this photo.

The third and fourth photos are of me and my friends at QO football games. Football games are so fun because I go with my friends and we just sit around,talk, and play watch the game. I love my friends because they pick me up when I am down and are always there for me.

The fifth photo is of the Washington Monument. I am thankful for my Freedom and that I live in this accepting country. I am very happy that my parents moved here from Europe. I love life in America.

The sixth photo is of a soccer ball by my feet.Soccer is one of my favorite sports. I have been playing soccer since I was 5. I love soccer because it lets me get my negative energy out. I love my soccer team and coach because they help me on and off the field.

The seventh photo is of my skis and ski poles. Skiing is my favorite sport. It always help me get energized and happy. I have been skiing with my friends and family since I was 3 years.

The eight and final photo is of fruit. Two of my favorite fruits are tangerines and pomegranates. Fruits give me strength to power through my day and are a great snack.

I am very thankful for all of the things listed above.

November 18, 2017

Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds project focused on creating a better photo. We learned that if you place an object in a certain section of the photo, the photo will be more interesting. We used a screen grid to create rule of thirds photography. If you put the subject of the photo on one of the grid lines or points, the viewers eye will travel to that subject first. For example, in the image below the lens of the camera is right on one of the intersecting points and the person is standing lengthwise along one of the grid lines. In this image your eye travels to the camera lens first, then to the person, and lastly to the scenery. This is the goal of rule of thirds photography.

Link to album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/lmpjossE7SWkBzG73

November 2, 2017

Light Graffiti

For this project we made light graffiti. We worked with the shutter speed setting of the camera. We let more or less light in to get different effects. The pictures with shorter shutter speeds were darker and the ones with longer shutter speeds were lighter. We had many difficulties. It was difficult to draw something with light without seeing what you are drawing. We had to use lights with the same brightness so that the picture was legible. Lastly, it was difficult to get the perfect amount of light in the photo. Overall, it was very fun to draw and create with light.

Link to album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/JmkU8CJxQPwlNSBY2

October 24, 2017

White Infinite Background

We worked with an infinite white background. We used the manual settings on the camera. It was difficult to get the person to stand out while having a solid white background. We used ISO, F-stop and Shutter Speed settings to determine how much light is in the picture. We also used the flash to illuminate the person. If the background was yellow or visible, you could edit it on Adobe Photoshop to make it disappear. I changed the curves, brightness, and contrast to make the background infinitely white and have the person stand out at the same time. Overall this was a difficult but fun project.

LINK TO ALBUM: https://photos.app.goo.gl/x5xka5mhFUoZYBFZ2

October 16, 2017

Black Background Phtography

For the Black Background project we used the manual settings on the camera. We messed withe the ISO and Shutter Speed . If you have a longer shutter speed the photo is lighter because the shutter is open longer to let more light in. If the shutter speed is shorter than the picture will be darker because less light will be let in. The ISO changes the sensitivity to the light. We changed the ISO and Shutter speed to change the amount of light in the photo.

We took photos in front of the green screen, walls, and black and white paper. The green screen and black paper worked the best. We used lights to created different effects in the photos. We had to figure out where to stand and where to place the light so that there would be no shadows. We experimented a lot to get the perfect picture.

We used Adobe photo shop to edit the pictures. We made them black and white and messed with things like the curves and exposure.

These are the final products:

My album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VsiXDr4f6IHceudC3

Photo taken and edited by me:

Photo of me taken and edited by Emma:

October 5, 2017

App Review PicMonkey

Pic Monkey is an app where you can edit pictures to make them look better or just cooler. You can crop and resize photos, change the background, change the brightness, and many more things. You can also create different effects like burn. You can make the picture look older or newer. You can even make a persons face look better. For example you can remove wrinkles. You can also change eye color or add mascara. There is no end to what you can do on Pic Monkey. You need to have an account to save a picture. It is totally free. Overall Pic Monkey is a great editing app.